"Space Aviation Agency is Nonsense... Establish Presidential Direct Space Strategy Headquarters"

Democratic Party Rep. Jo Seung-rae to Introduce Bill on 5th
Likely to Merge with Government-Submitted Special Legislation

The opposition party, which has opposed the government's plan to establish a vice minister-level Space and Aviation Agency under the Ministry of Science and ICT, has proposed a minister-level 'Space Strategy Headquarters' directly under the President as an alternative.

On the morning of the 5th, Cho Seung-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, held a press conference at the National Assembly and announced that he had submitted a bill titled 'Space Strategy Headquarters Establishment Act (Partial Amendment to the Space Development Promotion Act and Partial Amendment to the Government Organization Act)' as the main sponsor, with the signatures of 21 fellow lawmakers.

Photo by Seungrae Jo, Office of the Democratic Party of Korea

This bill elevates the chairperson of the National Space Committee, currently the Prime Minister, to the President and establishes a minister-level Space Strategy Headquarters under it. The functions of the Space Strategy Headquarters are defined as ▲supporting the affairs of the National Space Committee ▲establishing basic plans related to space ▲overseeing space-related policies and coordinating the work of related agencies ▲reviewing and adjusting the national research and development (R&D) budget for the space sector and evaluating performance. The head of the Space Strategy Headquarters may request the submission of materials from related agencies for policy and work coordination and notify the agencies of the coordination results, and the agencies are to comply unless there are special circumstances.

Additionally, the members of the Space Strategy Headquarters may include not only public officials responsible for space-related work but also civilians with extensive expertise and experience in the space sector. The vice chairperson of the National Space Committee, previously held by the Minister of Science and ICT, will be taken by the head of the Space Strategy Headquarters, and the ministers of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and Ministry of SMEs and Startups will also participate in the committee.

Cho's office explained, "This elevates space to a genuine ‘Presidential agenda’ and establishes a permanent organization so that the Space Committee can not only deliberate and decide on space policies but also coordinate actual inter-ministerial work," adding, "Measures have been put in place to guarantee the substantial coordination authority of the Space Strategy Headquarters."

The Democratic Party opposes the ‘Special Act on the Establishment and Operation of the Space and Aviation Agency,’ which the government approved at the Cabinet meeting on the 4th and plans to soon submit to the National Assembly. The special act provides for a vice minister-level Space and Aviation Agency under the Ministry of Science and ICT, but it is criticized for its low status and independence and ambiguous functions and roles.

Cho stated, “The government distorted and downsized the field’s aspiration for a pan-governmental space-dedicated organization into a mere ‘Science and Technology Agency’ under a single ministry,” and argued, “If a faulty agency is established, it will hinder the nascent space industry. Therefore, as many experts have long pointed out and demanded, a proper pan-governmental control tower must be established.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.